Thermobifida fusca name
changed from Thermomonaspora fusca, is a moderate thermophilic
soil bacterium (growth temperature 55°C) that is a major degrader of
plant cell walls in heated organic materials such as compost heaps, rotting
hay, manure piles or mushroom growth medium. It produces spores that can
be allergenic and causes a condition called farmers lung. It is an actinomycete
and its extracellular enzymes, including cellulases, have been studied
extensively because of their thermostability, broad pH range (4-10) and
high activity. It appears to degrade all major plant cell wall polymers
except lignin and pectin and can grow on most simple sugars and carboxylic
acids.